Author's Notes:
I've added some separators for the reader's convenience. No matter how many times I replace the documents for this fic, the spaces don't show up. Crap.
Many have been clamoring for a lengthier chappie, so here it is.
I don't OWN Yu Gi Oh, okay?
On to the story.
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Here and Thereafter:
Chapter 12: The Help
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Maximilian Pegasus, currently enjoying the white sands of Hawaii, looked up after the Millenium Eye alerted him of the violent surge of power of the Millenium Ring. He gave a start and sat up, facing the direction of the sky in which he hoped was also the sky above Japan.
"Oh no!" He muttered.
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Isis Ishtar was just coming home from the university. She too, felt the sudden and urgent tug of her Millenium Tauk. She stopped dead, her blue eyes wide.
"It can't be!" she gasped.
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The mysterious Shadi, keeper of the Millenium Ankh and Millenium Scales, knew what was afoot. He stood at the top of the biggest pyramid in Giza; his eyes closed in deep meditation. He opened his eyes and looked at his Ankh, which was pulsating a warning red light. He held up the Millenium Scales and watched the balances tilt to the left on their own.
Shadi clenched his free hand into a fist.
"The Ring has finally overwhelmed him." He muttered. "The time for the reunion of the Artifacts are drawing near. The pharaoh will soon return to Kemet."
With that, he disappeared.
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"EEEKKKK!" Téa shrieked as she ducked to avoid the slash dished out by the Dark Necrofear's sword. "TRISTAN!"
Téa lunged recklessly forward and threw herself at Tristan, who caught her squarely before the two of them slammed into the nearby pile of black bin bags. Tristan was quick; he'd quickly swept Téa in his arms and stood up to escape.
"RUN, TRISTAN, RUN!" Téa wailed as she watched the Dark Necrofear chase them. "OH MY GOD, DUCK!!!"
Tristan bent forward with a loud crunch from his backbone. The blade of the Necrofear's sword missed his head by inches, and he actually saw a couple of hair strands being cut by the blade. He felt pure terror shoot through him.
"I don't wanna die yet!" Tristan shouted as he pumped more effort to his legs. "I DON'T WANNA DIE YET!"
He ran faster, Téa bounding wildly in his arms as he dashed. They rounded on a nearby street, when a sudden burst of bright light made them stop. Tristan heard the shrill squeak of rubber tires against the road, and the hum of a motorcycle engine.
"Téa, Tristan! Hurry up and heave yourselves on!" Joey said urgently.
"J-Joey?!" said Téa, hardly daring to believe it.
"HURRY UP AND RIDE!" Marik shouted as he revved up his Harley.
Tristan quickly put Téa back down on the ground. He'd helped her ride behind Joey, and then heaved himself clumsily onto whatever space left of Marik's gorgeous motorcycle. Marik revved up the engine for the last time and went speeding off through another corner just as the Dark Necrofear and the Earl of Demise emerged from the streets they've left behind.
The four of them quickly reentered the main highway.
"What the hell is going on, Marik?!" Tristan demanded as he tried desperately to hold on. "Did you send those monsters after us?!"
"IF I SENT THEM, WOULD THEY TRY TO KILL ME TOO?!? FOR GOD'S SAKE, USE YOUR HEAD!" Marik shrieked back.
"Then who sent them after us?!? What is going on?!? Who brought those Duel Monsters to life? Who did this?!?" Téa asked exasperatedly. "Where is Yugi? Where is Ryou?"
"I believe I know where they are." Marik replied as his eyes narrowed. "Hold on and I'll take us there! Yugi and Ryou might be desperately in need of our help!"
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There was a loud crash as Yami was blasted off his feet for the nth time now. He tried in vain to soften up his fall, but he'd made a wrong turn and landed instead on his left arm, which immediately crippled beneath him. He cried out in pain.
He staggered to sit up, clutching his broken arm.
Bakura, now completely under the Millenium Ring's control, was slowly walking toward him. Yami felt himself retreat. It was a cowardly thing; he had never retreated from anything like this before, but this Bakura approaching him no longer had any trace of his humanity. What was walking toward him now was a monster created by the Ring.
"Bakura….fight it!" Yami moaned. "You can still fight the ring! Fight it, for Ra's sake!"
"SHUT UP AND DIE!" Bakura roared in an unearthly voice.
He extended his hand toward Yami, and between his fingers a huge energy ball started to form. Yami did not move from where he sat nursing his broken left arm. Instead he just closed his eyes.
If this will bring him back to normal then I will do it…!
"NOOOOOO!"
Yami's eyes snapped open. Ryou's feeble ghost threw itself infront of him, arms wide. Yami opened his mouth in a scream. The energy ball went right through Ryou's ghost, the light boring through the spirit. There was a loud explosion as the warehouse was destroyed as well.
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Téa covered her ears as Marik's tires squeaked shrilly against the road when they turned into a street that led to the marina. Behind her, Tristan was barely able to keep himself together. He had been flying loosely behind them like a banner, because only his hands now connected him to the Harley and to his life.
"Look there!" Marik yelled as he pointed toward the flames where the Millenium Ring's signal was coming from. "THEY'RE OVER THERE!"
"AND WE HAVE SOME CRITTERS BEHIND US AS WELL! HEEELLPPP!" Tristan yelled as the Earl of Demise narrowly missed his right foot by two inches.
"Ch," Marik gritted his teeth together as he pointed the Millenium Rod behind him and started blasting off the two monsters. "Bothersome idiots, the two of them—!"
"HEY! QUIT IT, YOU'LL KILL ME TOO!" Tristan wailed.
"MARIK, WATCH OUT!" Joey shouted.
Marik returned his eyes to the road and discovered that they were about to slam straight into a parked truck. He jerked the motorcycle sharply to the left, the tires squeaking and smoking and leaving dark marks on the road.
"You—have—no—right—to—earn—a—driving—license—!" Joey grunted, his face green.
But Marik didn't listen to him. They spun a full three hundred and sixty degrees, now facing the Dark Necrofear and the Earl of Demise. Joey's grip around Marik's waist tightened.
"Err, I think we're facing the wrong direction? Marik?" Joey asked fearfully.
"He's right!" Tristan moaned. "The warehouses are that way—not this way!"
"What are you doing?!" Téa demanded.
The Harley's engine got louder and louder as Marik revved it up. "Shut your mouths—or else bite your tongues off."
He scooted full-speed toward the two monsters. Joey, Tristan and Téa all screamed together.
"YAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!!!"
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"Agk—hgh—!" Yami choked as Bakura lifted him from the ground, hand tightly curled around his neck. "Aghh—!"
"This is over for you, pharaoh!" Bakura said diabolically. "You too shall share the same fate with that ghost!"
Yami was fighting to keep himself conscious. The pain from his broken arm was tripled now, and Bakura was forcing oxygen out of his lungs. Every now and then his vision would dim and return, dim and return. Needless to say he was in a critical condition.
"Fight—the—Millenium—Ring—Bakura—!" Yami gasped for breath. "Fight—it—please—"
But the hand around his neck just got tighter. Yami felt himself reel.
"DIE!" Bakura shouted.
"OH NO YOU DON'T!"
Both Yami and Bakura turned. Marik, Joey, Téa and Tristan burst from behind a nearby pile of boxes. Marik quickly whipped out the Millenium Rod and pointed it toward Bakura.
"BY THE POWER OF RA!" Marik yelled.
Golden light erupted from the Rod and clashed with both Bakura and Yami with a jolt. The Tomb Robber let go of the pharaoh and collapsed on the ground, screaming and thrashing as if he was on fire.
"GET AWAY FROM HIM, YUGI!" Joey screamed hysterically.
Yami staggered away, dragging his broken arm with him. He fell forward, but Marik caught him in a flash.
"That's not—the Ring—engulfed—not his fault—!" Yami tried to speak.
"I know, pharaoh, I know!" Marik said urgently. He looked up to see what had happened to Bakura. His violet eyes widened. "Oh my god!"
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That's a wrap! Wee! Final chapter for Here and Thereafter next, and watch out for the sequel, Summons of the Sands. Please review!